Remarks
Of Rosalynn Carter,
Honorary Chair of Last Actsby Rosalynn Carter
Former First Lady of the United States

February
13, 1997

Thank you, Dr. Schroeder.

As many of you may know, I have a long-standing
interest in the subject of caregiving, an interest that is deeply personal and
goes far beyond intellectual curiosity. Caregiving has been a familiar part of
my life since I was 12 years old when I helped my mother take care of my very
sick father. Eleven months after he died, my grandmother died suddenly and my
grandfather was left alone. My family hardly had a chance to come up for air when
we realized that we had no choice--we had to find the strength to help my grandfather.

Over time, I became aware of the importance
of caregiving and tried to learn as much as I could so that I could share some
of the best ideas with my family and, through my book, Helping Yourself Help Others,
with all Americans who want to know how they can help others most in need.

After all, caregiving is a universal subject.
One of my colleagues once said, "There are only four kinds of people in this world":

Those
who have been caregivers;

Those
who currently are caregivers.

Those
who will be caregivers; and

Those
who will need caregivers.

That
seems right to me.

Which brings us to LAST ACTS. Caregiving at
any point, for any purpose, is a wonderful thing. But there is no time in life
that it can be more precious than at the end of life--when caregiving is particularly
important. And although there are millions of Americans who, every day, care for
their loved ones, I am sorry to say that their care isn't enough to prevent many
people from dying in pain and alone.

We know from the SUPPORT studies that the situation
is more grim than we had imagined. Patients' desires only sometimes influence
the care they actually receive. Most Americans experience pain, breathlessness,
or confusion in their waning days. And beyond the studies, we all know that the
subject of death-- particularly our own--is pretty much taboo in our society.

I agreed to be the Honorary Chair of LAST ACTS,
because I stand firmly behind the coalition's goal of beginning a dialogue in
this country about how to improve care at the end of life. I am very impressed
with the breadth of the group, starting with the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation's commitment and involving not only the medical community,
but the clergy, consumer groups, hospice organizations, and voluntary organizations
like the Alzheimer's Association and the American Cancer Society.

I also am impressed with the vision of LAST
ACTS -- to push for specific reforms that will demonstrate that change can take
place, that dying can be a more fulfilling experience not only for the patient,
but for the family as well. The LAST ACTS task forces will recommend how to put
some good ideas into practice, ideas that will be directed toward policymakers,
health care institutions, payers of care, and consumers themselves.

As Honorary Chair, I will try to help communicate
what LAST ACTS is about and will encourage individuals and groups around the country
to participate in this national dialogue. I want us to think very carefully about
the principles that define a "good death," one that respects patients' wishes,
reduces pain to the extent possible, involves caregivers throughout the process,
minimizes financial burden, and encourages spiritual growth until the moment of
death itself.

I will do my part by meeting from time to time
with coalition members, writing on the subject, and generally lending my support
to the coalition's activities.

I want to congratulate each and every one of
my partners in this journey. We are undertaking a challenging and bold adventure
-- one that can help bring peace and comfort to every American family. The greatest
fears of sick people are about how they will live with their illnesses until they
die. We need this coalition so that fewer people will die alone and in pain, with
the result that more people and their loved ones can experience dying for what
it ought to be-- the last act in the journey of life.

The task is enormous, but the timing is right.
I can't think of a more noble undertaking than LAST ACTS, because the campaign
will help people face death with the knowledge that they will be cared for on
their own special and unique terms.

For me, it's a wonderful opportunity to help
spread the message of caregiving in a new and potentially very powerful way.